The ‘yeehaw agenda’ was alive and thriving during weekend two of ACL with country singer, Orville Peck.

The thumping guitars of Elvis’ rock bangers, the twangy plucks of Conway Twitty, and the folky spirit of Bob Dylan’s lyricism has painted these folks as the origin of American rock ‘n’ roll, country and blues. While they popularized these genres, they were not the pioneers of these sonic choices. What if told you that a black, queer woman from Cotton Plant, Arkansas influenced all of these sounds?

Storming the stage wearing denim and a smile, rapper Tierra Whack immediately matched the energy of her DJ and the already excited crowd. A Philly native, Whack dominated her weekend two ACL set with her infectious personality and unique flow.

Grab your pumpkins, broomsticks, and maybe a boo; Spooky season is here.

Swedish sweetheart Robin Carlsson’s, stage name Robyn, career traces back thirty years, but her ability to stick with the times and carve out immersive electro-pop made her a highlight of this year’s Austin City Limits. The 80-minute set closed out the festival on Sunday, transforming the defeated Zilker Park into a dance floor and giving tired listeners a shoulder to lean on. 

This year’s Austin City Limits Festival proved more than ever that audiences and those running festivals win when diverse acts perform.

With three decades of beloved music and a famous mural on the Drag, songwriter and artist Daniel Johnston’s influence on Austin and beyond is undeniable. After his sudden passing in September, a dozen musicians joined at the Mohawk to celebrate his life and remind everyone that “Some Things Last A Long Time.” 

A vibrant, young crowd surrounded the stage at the TC Superstar tour kickoff last Saturday, two weeks after the deluxe release of R&D. It may have been ACL weekend, but the venue was still packed with enthusiastic fans who were ready to dance (and maybe cry) to the local collective’s synth tunes. A long time fan myself, I finally had the pleasure of catching up with Connor McCampbell, also known as the Toyata Coralla Superstar, to find out what the deluxe album was all about.

The self-assured R&B star, Summer Walker, has women all over saying “forget him” with the release of her debut album, Over It.

Headlining the Honda stage the first Saturday of Austin City Limits, Robert Smith and company celebrated 40 years of guitar magic.

Donning a grandpa sweater, long trousers and Buc-ee’s nail decals picked up on the road, 22 year-old Atlanta indie-folk artist, Faye Webster, performs with the comfortability beyond her years and a vitality and charm that only her age could offer.